Cathedral Theater at Masonic Temple to be renamed for Jack White after rocker pays back taxes

The Detroit Masonic Temple paid off its back tax bill to the city of Detroit affter an anonymous donor contributed the entire outstanding balance of $142,000, and today the organization announced that musician Jack White is the donor, who will be honored by having a theater at the venue named after him.

"The anonymous identity of this individual has led to rampant speculation with the media and folks throughout the country trying to figure out who this mysterious person is and why they were so generous. We are proud to announce that Jack White is the anonymous person who paid the outstanding taxes for the Detroit Masonic Temple," the organization said in a statement.

White has not only performed on stage on several occasions at the Temple, but Jack grew up at the Detroit Masonic Temple while his mother was employed there as an usher.

In fact, both he and his mother share a profound love for the gothic structure.

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"Jack's donation could not have come at a better time and we are eternally grateful to him for it," Detroit Masonic Temple Association President Roger Sobran stated. "Jack's magnanimous generosity and unflinching loyalty to this historic building and his Detroit roots is appreciated beyond words.

"In light of Jack's generosity and belief in the importance of a strong, vital Temple that should and will be available to future generations of Detroiters, the Masonic Temple Association will be naming, in Jack's honor, our Cathedral Theater, the 'Jack White Theater.' The Jack White Theater is a magnificent 27,878 square feet of historically rich architecture and design with a seating capacity of 1,586. We could not be more humbled to bestow this honor on Jack."

The Detroit Masonic Temple is located at 500 Temple Street, just north of downtown. Construction on the Temple began in 1922 with its dedication four years later. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This 14-story historic building with 1,037 rooms, 600,000 square feet is the largest Masonic building in the world.

The Masonic Temple Theatre seats about 4,400 people and is one of the finest theatres in the country. It is used for concerts, Broadway shows, and special events. There is also a 1,586-seat Cathedral Theater and a 17,500-square-foot drill hall that the Detroit Roller Derby Girls currently use for its events.

The Temple has numerous public spaces including three auditoriums and two grand ballrooms. There are also seven lodge rooms, offices, and dining spaces. It can also be used for trade shows, conventions and several other events.

Musician, singer-songwriter, record-producer, multi-instrumentalist and actor Jack White was born and raised in Detroit, where he attended Cass Technical High School. He is best known as the vocalist, guitarist and pianist of The White Stripes, as well as a vocalist and guitarist for The Raconteurs and the drummer of The Dead Weather. White released his debut solo album, "Blunderbuss," on April 24, 2012.